Grease gun charging machines



Nov. 5, 1957 M. SWITZER GREASE GUN CHARGING MACHINES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed June 7, 1954 4.... W5 .& 0 3/ a J z w l.;I.l "D n z k M m {4 m M m a W 7 I I m H 4 m 2 6 M. SWITZER GREASE GUN CHARGING MACHINES Nov. 5, 1957 Filed June 7, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent Ofifice GREASE GUN CHARGING MACHINES Murt Switzer, Strathclair, Manitoba, Canada Application June 7, 1954, Serial No. 434,807

4 Claims. (Cl. 14121) The principal object of the invention is to provide a machine by the use of which a grease gun can be easily, effectively and quickly charged with grease directly from the standard grease can and with little labour involved or loss of time.

A further object is to provide a machine embodying an open centered piston or plunger utilizing the can as a receiving cylinder and also a mechanism to receive, hold and force downwardly the conventional grease gun with an open end seated centrally on the piston or plunger, the arrangement providing a structure whereby in the down movement of the piston or plunger the gun can be easily and quickly charged from the can.

A further object is to provide a stand with a table to support and centre the applied bottom of the grease can, to supply a clamping member to engage the cylindrical wall of the grease gun, to provide an open centered piston or plunger operative within the can and seating the open lower end of the clamped gun and to provide manually actuated means for selectively forcing the clamped clamping member downwardly.

A further object is to provide means whereby the table can be readily shifted on the stand to align it with the vertical axis of the overlying gun.

A further object is to so construct the clamping member that it can be easily and quickly set to release the gun for removal purposes or to frictionally and effectively engage the wall of the gun to cause the down movement thereof in the down movement of the clamping member.

A further object is to construct a relatively inexpensive machine in a simple and durable manner and such that little effort is required on the part of the operator to do the required work of charging the existing grease gun.

With the above objects in view the invention consists essentially in the arrangement and construction of parts hereinafter described, reference being had to the accompanying drawing in which:

Fig. 1 is a side view of the machine, the conventional grease containing, supply can being shown in vertical section and only a portion of the standard grease gun being shown.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the machine, with the can and grease gun removed.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, vertical sectional view centrally through the lower part of the can and showing the piston or plunger therein and the lower end of the grease gun in central, vertical section.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged, detailed, central sectional view through the piston or plunger and showing its construction and how the grease gun is seated thereon.

Fig. 5 is an enlarged, detailed, vertical sectional view centrally through the clamping member and showing it clamped to the body of the gun.

Fig. 6 is a detailed plan view of part of the circular base plate and showing the slot therein.

Fig. 7 is a vertical sectional view at 77 Fig. 1 and looking to the right, the angular brace being omitted.

Patented Nov. 5, 1957 In the drawings like characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

The machine embodies a base member or stand 1 which is herein shown as formed from a pair of similar, horizontally disposed, equi-length angle irons 2 and 3 spaced apart and supported at their ends by similar, well spread, legs 4 and 5 of bar iron bent as shown and having their upturned ends secured by bolts 6 and 8 to the angle bars. A filler 9 is placed on the bolt 6 between the angle irons and an upright post or bar 10 has its lower end passed between the angle irons or bars and secured firmly in place by the passing bolt 8. A second upright bar 11 somewhat shorter than that 10 is also provided and it has its lower end passed between the angle bars and securely fastened thereto by a bolt 7.

A horizontal bar 12 overlies the upper end of the bar 11 being welded thereto and has its outer end welded to the upright It) and the other end extended beyond the upright 11 a selected distance for a purpose later apparent. An angle brace 13 extends between the uprights 10 and 11 being welded thereto to reinforce the structure. The above provides a very light, inexpensive structure having a well spread base and upstanding parts to support operating mechanism shortly described.

On the base member, to the left of the upright 11, I mount a disc or circular table 14 which can be formed from laminated wood or other suitable material and the said table is supplied with a central slot 14 (see Fig. 6) which receives a headed bolt 15, the bolt passing downwardly through the slot 16 reserved between the angle irons 2 and 3 and having its lower end supplied with a washer 17 and a winged nut 17. Obviously the table can be adjusted laterally or horizontally as desired.

To the projecting end of the bar 12, I pivotally connect by a bolt 18, a pair of similar rocker arms 19 and 20 which have their outer ends extending beyond the upright 10 and suppliedwith a bolt 21 and their inner ends curved to span an intervening, circular, open centered head 22, to the sides of which they are pivotally connected by similar pivot pins 23 and 24. A filler 25 (see Fig. 5) is placed between the arms 19 and 20 in a location just nicely clear of the adjacent inner end of the bar 12 and a bolt 25 passes through the arms and filler holding such parts securely together.

A flat, annular ring 26, provided with a finger piece 27, is associated with the head and the head and ring provide a clamping member utilized for a purpose later apparent. The head at the side next the bolt 25 is supplied with a vertical bolt 28 which passes freely through a hole in the overlying ring, suflicient play being allowed at the hole and in the length of the bolt to permit the ring to swing up or down for clamping or releasing purposes. I have found it desirable to have the pivot pins 23 and 24 slightly to the side of the transverse axis of the head as best shown in Fig. 2.

Grease is customarily marketed in cans containing say twenty five pounds of grease and such grease supply cans usually have straight side walls and a downwardly extending bottom flange, and it is with such a can and a conventional grease gun that my machine is used, and for the purpose of filling or charging the gun directly from the can.

The table is made of such diameter that it effectively supports the bottom of the can with the can flange receiving the edge of the table, the latter preventing side shifting of .the can on the table. The flange referred to is indicated at 29 and the can by the reference numeral 29. One can shift the table and can carried thereby to bring it co-axial with the vertical axis of the clamping member.

In order to actuate the rocker bars I supply a suitably shaped hand actuated lever 30 formed from a pair of similar side arms 31 spaced at one end to receive a hand grip 32 and having their other ends spanning the upper end of the upright and secured pivotally thereto by a bolt 33 and extending therebeyond and provided with a further bolt 34. The latter bolt is connected by a link 35 to the bolt 21 and the arrangement is such that when the lever is pressed in an anti-clockwise direction, the head and ring, forming the clamping member, move downwardly.

The grease gun to be charged by my machine is, as before stated, of the conventional type and accordingly it is sufiicient for the purposes of this description to understand that the body thereof is cylindrical in form and has its discharge end closed by a head which can be readily removed for gun charging purposes. A portion 36 of the conventional gun is shown and in the showing the head referred to immediately above has been removed.

The clamping member is adapted to receive the body of the gun initially, with the clamping member adjacent the upper end of the gun, at which time the handle is in its limited out position to the right. It will be obvious that if one lifts the ring by the finger piece that the ring will bite the body of the gun and cause the clamping member to force the gun to move down upon the lever being swung inwardly.

By utilizing the body of the can 29 as a cylinder and providing a plunger or piston to operate therein and forcing such down by the open end of the gun, I can force grease from the can to the gun for gun charging purposes, and provided the plunger has an opening com municating with the interior of the applied gun.

The cylinder or plunger can be constructed in any desirable manner. In the present instance it is formed from the following parts. An upper circular disc 37 is supplied having an external diameter slightly less than the diameter of the can and the disc has a central opening therein, indicated at 37, to receive the open, lower end of the grease gun. A sealing cup 38, as of leather,

underlies the disc being secured in place by a second,

under annular disc 39 held by suitable bolts 40 passing through both discs and cup. The cup provides an effective grease seal in contact with the inner wall of the can, and said cup has the central part thereof supplied with an opening to make a sealing contact with the lower 7 end of the grease gun. The bottom end of the gun is rested against astout, metallic ring 41, such gun end passing through the opening 37 and through the opening in the cup, the latter providing a grease seal at such point. The ring 41 is received within the open centre of the disc. 39 and is securely held in place by rivets 42' passing upwardly through the upper disc 37 and into and through a suitable washer 41' supplied on the top face of the disc 37.

It will be obvious from the construction of the parts described, that one can, repeatedly, easily and quickly charge a gun with grease from the can, the several operations being continued until the can is empty.

At the start of operations the clamping member is at the lower end of the gun and clamped thereto, the plunger is at the upper level of the grease in the can and the lever 31 is in its outswung position. A relatively slight inswinging movement of the lever will cause the piston to move downwardly in the can to discharge grease from the can and into the gun for charging purposes. The gun being charged, it is then removed by releasing the clamping member and when subsequently becoming empty through use, can again be charged by passing it through the clamping member and down into contact with the ring 41. Upon the clamping member being then clamped to the gun body, and the lever again actuated, the gun will be again recharged. Charging can be in like manner continued until the can is virtually empty.

To permit of free movement, if such be required, the pins 23 and 24 can be entered in horizontal slots supplied in the inner ends of the arms 19 and 20.

While I have shown and described the invention as used for charging a grease gun from a grease supply can, it is to be understood that any other cylindrical member, such as a caulking tool, could be charged from,

a supply can, in the manner described, provided of course the machine was modified to suit the particular can and member to be charged.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a machine for discharging grease from a can to charge a grease or the like receiving cylinder having an open lower end, a plunger operating within the can and seating the said open end of the cylinder, said plunger having an opening therein opening to the open end of the cylinder, a clamping member releasably engageable with the body of the cylinder, pivoted rocker arms supporting the clamping member, a handle and a link connecting the handle to the rocker arms.

2. A machine for charging a grease gun from a grease supply can comprising, a plunger for operation within the can in contact with the grease surface, said plunger seating the open lower end of the gun and having an opening therein communicating with the interior of the gun, an elevated, pivoted member provided with a clamping member releasably engageable with the gun, a pivoted lever overlying the pivoted member and a link connecting the pivoted member with the lever.

3. A machine for charging a grease gun having an open lower end and from a grease supply can comprising a stand to support the can, a plunger for operation within the can and seating the open lower end of the gun and having an opening therein communicating with the interior of the seated gun, a fixed bar above and radial to the can and supported from the stand, a pair of rocker arms pivotally connected to the inner end of the fixed bar, a clamping member carried by the inner ends of the rocker arms for releasably engaging the gun, a pivoted lever supported from the stand and above the rocker arms and a link connecting one end of the lever to the outer ends of the rocker arms.

4. The device as claimed in claim 3 wherein a table is supplied to support the stand and the table is adjustable, horizontally in respect to the stand.-

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,397,510 Grassi Nov. 22, 1921 2,128,529 Gunning Aug. 30, 19-38 2,224,509 Canine Dec. 10, 1940 2,726,802 Jones Dec. 13, 1955 

